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Main > Fairy tale > All authors > Andrew Lang > Fairy tale "Bushy Bride"

Bushy Bride

So they all set out together, and the man's daughter took with her a casket in which she kept her gold, and a dog which was called Little Snow. These two things were all that she had inherited from her mother. When they had travelled for some time they had to cross the sea, and the brother sat down at the helm, and the mother and the two half- sisters went to the fore-part of the vessel, and they sailed a long, long way. At last they came in sight of land.

`Look at that white strand there; that is where we shall land,' said the brother, pointing across the sea.

`What is my brother saying?' inquired the man's daughter.

`He says that you are to throw your casket out into the sea,' answered the step-mother.

`Well, if my brother says so, I must do it,' said the man's daughter, and she flung her casket into the sea.

When they had sailed for some time longer, the brother once more pointed over the sea. `There you may see the palace to which we are bound,' said he.

`What is my brother saying?' asked the man's daughter.

`Now he says that you are to throw your dog into the sea,' answered the step-mother.

The man's daughter wept, and was sorely troubled, for Little Snow was the dearest thing she had on earth, but at last she threw him overboard.

`If my brother says that, I must do it, but Heaven knows how unwilling I am to throw thee out, Little Snow!' said she.

So they sailed onwards a long way farther.

`There may'st thou see the King coming out to meet thee,' said the brother, pointing to the sea-shore.

`What is my brother saying?' asked his sister again.

`Now he says that you are to make haste and throw yourself overboard,' answered the step-mother.

She wept and she wailed, but as her brother had said that, she thought she must do it; so she leaped into the sea.

But when they arrived at the palace, and the King beheld the ugly bride with a nose that was four ells long, a jaw that was three ells, and a forehead that had a bush in the middle of it, he was quite terrified; but the wedding feast was all prepared, as regarded brewing and baking, and all the wedding guests were sitting waiting, so, ugly as she was, the King was forced to take her.

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